The field of the present disclosure relates generally to turbine engines and, more specifically to a sensor package with improved dynamic temperature measurement capabilities.
Rotary machines, such as gas turbines and steam turbines, are used to generate power for electric generators. Gas turbines, for example, have a gas path which typically includes, in serial-flow relationship, an air intake (or inlet), a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a gas outlet (or exhaust nozzle). Compressor and turbine sections include at least one row of circumferentially spaced rotating buckets or blades positioned within a package house. During operation, at least some known turbine assemblies include components that monitor the temperature of fluid flowing through a high temperature gas path of the assembly. As used herein, dynamic temperature refers to a measure of a change in temperature due to flow variation. Measuring dynamic temperature is useful for determining temperature profiles within a turbine assembly, which is effective for facilitating thermal stress management to extend the lifetime of hot gas path components and for providing a way to monitor can-to-can combustion dynamics, fuel flexibility, and turbine control.
At least some known turbine assemblies use thermocouples to measure dynamic temperature. However, known thermocouples must be heavily packaged to survive hot gas path environments with fluid flowing therethrough at high rates. As such, heavily packaging the thermocouple adversely affects its maximum thermal response rate. Furthermore, known thermocouples are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement such that the thermocouple packaging may crack when subjected to high temperature environments. At least some known fiber optic sensors have a higher thermal response rate when compared to known thermocouples and the fiber optic sensors may be packaged for survival in harsh environments. However, these known fiber optic sensor packages have undesirable flow sensitivity properties for measuring dynamic temperature.